Mabee Gerrer Museum

For the 2013 annual art exhibit, the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art is partnering with Sustainable Shawnee, drawing attention to the importance of recycling.

The title and theme for this year’s regional is Don’t Waste: Create! The exhibit will feature artworks which address the theme of recycling, either through subject or through medium.

Donna Merkt, MGMoA Curator of Education, is hoping to see some creative artworks made of recycled and reused materials. “We’ve had some incredible ‘recycled’ artworks in past regional exhibits,” said Merkt, referencing the giant papier mâché dog created last year by Lynn Pollei out of old newspapers, the religious icons painted by Sheryl Cozad on tin can lids, the dinosaur created out of old computer parts by Matthew Hughes, and the sculptures created by Joel Carmichael out of recycled paint scraps and found objects.

“This exhibit is very open to the imagination and creativity,” said Merkt, “art can be made from anything.” She mentioned that artists could consider using old magazines, flyers, cans, computer parts, and general “junk—as long as it is repurposed, remade, or re-imagined!”

Artists from across Oklahoma are invited to participate in the regional. Anyone, of any age, of any skill level is invited to submit art for the exhibit.

“This is an open exhibit,” explained Merkt. “We want anyone who wants to make art to participate in the show.”

Any artist interested in participating in the exhibition should visit www.mgmoa.org/regional for more information, or call 405-878-5605. Participants must register by Sept. 20 in order to guarantee participation; however, the artwork does not have to be delivered until Oct. 31-Nov.3. The exhibition takes place Nov. 9-24. Additional information about the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art is available at www.mgmoa.org.